


Calling one name

by Sionna_Raven



Series: Background fics to 'Snacks and Letters' [29]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-21
Updated: 2011-07-21
Packaged: 2017-10-21 15:05:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/226537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sionna_Raven/pseuds/Sionna_Raven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grimmauld Place during OotP, Severus finds his enemy in a helpless state, but he never expected to hear that name.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Calling one name

Severus Snape rung the bell at the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place. The mad house elf opened grinning maliciously.

“Nobody here, except the blood traitor.”

The house didn't look as if anybody was there, all dark and quiet. Severus followed the elf into the kitchen. There he lay, the blood traitor as his slave had called him. Black!

Fast asleep, snoring, curled up on the armchair in front of the fireplace like a dog.

Dead drunk judging by the empty bottles on the floor. Severus couldn't deny a warm fuzzy feeling at the sight of his enemy so helpless and completely at his mercy. He ran a list of all the undetectable curses he could use on him through his head. Making the inevitable hangover last for a week or two? No, too lenient, he'd be feeling bad enough without Severus' interference. He wanted to hurt him, hurt him badly, but also to have him know what was happening.

Black stirred, grunted, moaned. His face, his whole body twisted and writhed in pain. He was having a nightmare. Incoherent words, making no sense came out of his mouth.

“Seagulls... rats.... party time. No swimming at ebb tide.”

“Hope feeds Dementors!”

“Don't let Him know. Don't make a sound!”

A piercing cry: “Mudsquad!”

Severus had heard the word before, whispered in Azkaban. A word of terror, only a rumour in the cell block where the unimportant prisoners were held. He has never met them during his three days, before the end of the war, but the word alone made his skin crawl. No, he didn't feel pity. Black may not have been guilty of the crime that got him to Azkaban, but he deserved it anyway.

Black starts to whine and whimper, begging someone to forgive him, calling for help.

“Not a nice feeling, isn't it, Black? All alone, your friends didn't come to get you out. Potter was dead and Lupin and Dumbledore didn't care.”

“Please, don't walk away! Stay with me! Regulus!”

Severus stared at the man in disbelief.

“Reggie, I didn't mean to let you down. Please, forgive me. Come back! Regulus!!!”

The last name Severus expected to hear, but Black repeated it again and again like an incantation. Strangely it seemed to work. Black calmed down. The nightmare faded. He started to smile in his sleep, still whispering the one name, gently. “Regulus.”

 

“Don't you dare to touch him, Snape!”

Severus had not noticed the door. The werewolf was standing at his side, his wand out.

Severus smirked at the empty threat.

“I don't need to touch him. I only need to stand by and enjoy watching him killing himself.”, he says calmly as if talking about the weather.

Lupin knelt beside his friend's slumped form, wiped the sweat from his forehead and the hair out of his face.

“Deliver your message and be gone, Snape. There won't be any more entertainment tonight.”

“Tell Dumbledore I'll be staying at the manor for the weekend. There's something important going on. I'll report, when I'm back at Hogwarts.”

“I will pass on the message. Good night, Severus.”

Lupin muttered a levitating spell and started directing Black's body carefully towards the hall and up the stairs.

“Good night, Lupin. Put the sleeping beauty in his bed and tug him in. Perhaps you can give him a goodnight kiss. He'll be so grateful for your kindness tomorrow I'm sure.”

Lupin didn't answer. His face showed bitter resignation.

Closing the door behind himself Snape wondered, if Lupin knew that in his greatest pain and despair his friend did not call for him nor for the powerful, wise wizard they all served, not even for Saint Potter Sr..

Black called for his little snake brother, the Death Eater. There's power in a name and Severus now held the power to bring his enemy down to his knees. It was a good feeling.


End file.
